Police and venues get new banning powers for Xmas

POLICE and licensed venues are celebrating new laws granting them sweeping powers to deal with drunken troublemakers.

A new NSW Government initiative launched on Sunday allows licensed venues to ban troublemakers from all clubs and pubs across a local area.

This combined with "The STOP! Is it worth $550?" campaign, which warns patrons that they will be fined $550 by police if they refuse to leave a licensed venue when asked by the club or hotel when violent, drunk or disorderly, were launched for the busy Christmas holiday period.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas said both campaigns working together gave police and licensed venues unprecedented powers.

The multi-venue barring order will typically be used when a patron has been involved in a series of incidents at various local venues over a prolonged period of time.